नूनं लङ्का हते पापे रावणे राक्षसाधिपे। शोषमेष्यति दुर्धर्षा प्रमदा विधवा यथा
Surely, when the sinful Rāvaṇa, lord of the rākṣasas, is slain, unconquerable Laṅkā will wither like a widow bereft of her husband.
पुण्योत्सवसमृद्धा च नष्टभर्त्री सराक्षसा। भविष्यति पुरी लङ्का नष्टभर्त्री यथांगना
Laṅkā, the city once flourishing with auspicious festivals and filled with rākṣasas, will become like a woman bereft of her husband.
नूनं राक्षसकन्यानां रुदतीनां गृहे गृहे। श्रोष्यामि नचिरादेव दुःखार्तानामिह ध्वनिम्
Surely, before long, I shall hear in every house here the wailing of rākṣasa maidens, stricken with grief.
सान्धकारा हतद्योता हतराक्षसपुंगवा। भविष्यति पुरी लङ्का निर्दग्धा रामसायकैः
Laṅkā, shrouded in darkness, her brilliance destroyed, her foremost rākṣasas slain, will be burned down by Rāma's arrows.
यदि नाम स शूरो मां रामो रक्तान्तलोचनः। जानीयाद् वर्तमानां यां राक्षसस्य निवेशने
If only that hero Rāma, with blood-red eyes, would know that I am here, dwelling in the house of the rākṣasa.
अनेन तु नृशंसेन रावणेनाधमेन मे। समयो यस्तु निर्दिष्टस्तस्य कालोऽयमागतः
But the time appointed by this cruel, base Rāvaṇa has now arrived for me.
स च मे विहितो मृत्युरस्मिन् दुष्टेन वर्तते। अकार्यं ये न जानन्ति नैर्ऋताः पापकारिणः
And the death ordained for me by this wicked one is now at hand; those evil-doing night-dwellers know not what is right.
अधर्मात् तु महोत्पातो भविष्यति हि साम्प्रतम्। नैते धर्मं विजानन्ति राक्षसाः पिशिताशनाः
Indeed, a great calamity will now arise from unrighteousness; these flesh-eating rākṣasas do not understand righteousness.
ध्रुवं मां प्रातराशार्थं राक्षसः कल्पयिष्यति। साहं कथं करिष्यामि तं विना प्रियदर्शनम्
Surely, the rākṣasa will appoint me as his morning meal; how shall I endure, deprived of the sight of my beloved?
रामं रक्तान्तनयनमपश्यन्ती सुदुःखिता। क्षिप्रं वैवस्वतं देवं पश्येयं पतिना विना
Tormented with grief, unable to see Rāma with blood-reddened eyes, I shall soon behold the god Vaivasvata, parted from my husband.
नाजानाज्जीवतीं रामः स मां भरतपूर्वजः। जानन्तौ तु न कुर्यातां नोर्व्यां हि परिमार्गणम्
If Rāma, the elder brother of Bharata, does not know that I am alive, then even if he and Lakṣmaṇa do know, they would not search the earth for me.
नूनं ममैव शोकेन स वीरो लक्ष्मणाग्रजः। देवलोकमितो यातस्त्यक्त्वा देहं महीतले
Surely, through grief for me, that hero, elder brother of Lakṣmaṇa, has left his body on earth and gone to the world of the gods.
धन्या देवाः सगन्धर्वाः सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः। मम पश्यन्ति ये वीरं रामं राजीवलोचनम्
Blessed are the gods, the gandharvas, the siddhas, and the great sages who see my heroic Rāma, lotus-eyed.
अथवा नहि तस्यार्थो धर्मकामस्य धीमतः। मया रामस्य राजर्षेर्भार्यया परमात्मनः
Or perhaps, for that wise and righteous king Rāma, there is no purpose in having me as his wife.
दृश्यमाने भवेत् प्रीतिः सौहृदं नास्त्यदृश्यतः। नाशयन्ति कृतघ्नास्तु न रामो नाशयिष्यति
When one is seen, there is joy; when unseen, there is no friendship. The ungrateful destroy, but Rāma will not destroy.
किं वा मय्यगुणाः केचित् किं वा भाग्यक्षयो हि मे। या हि सीता वरार्हेण हीना रामेण भामिनी
Is it that I lack virtues, or is it the decline of my fortune, that I, Sītā, worthy of the best, am separated from the illustrious Rāma?
श्रेयो मे जीवितान्मर्तुं विहीनाया महात्मना। रामादक्लिष्टचारित्राच्छूराच्छत्रुनिबर्हणात्
It is better for me to die than to live, bereft of the great-souled Rāma, whose conduct is blameless, who is heroic and destroyer of foes.
अथवा न्यस्तशस्त्रौ तौ वने मूलफलाशनौ। भ्रातरौ हि नरश्रेष्ठौ चरन्तौ वनगोचरौ
Or perhaps, having laid down their weapons, those two noble brothers, best among men, are living in the forest, subsisting on roots and fruits, wandering through the woods.
अथवा राक्षसेन्द्रेण रावणेन दुरात्मना। छद्मना घातितौ शूरौ भ्रातरौ रामलक्ष्मणौ
Or perhaps, the valiant brothers Rama and Lakshmana have been treacherously slain by the evil-minded king of the rakshasas, Ravana.
साहमेवंविधे काले मर्तुमिच्छामि सर्वतः। न च मे विहितो मृत्युरस्मिन् दुःखेऽतिवर्तति
Thus, in such a time, I wish to die in every way; yet death, ordained for me, does not come to relieve me from this overwhelming sorrow.
धन्याः खलु महात्मानो मुनयः सत्यसम्मताः। जितात्मानो महाभागा येषां न स्तः प्रियाप्रिये
Truly blessed are the great souls, the sages honored for their truth, who have mastered themselves and are highly fortunate, for whom there is neither dear nor not dear.
प्रियान्न सम्भवेद् दुःखमप्रियादधिकं भवेत्। ताभ्यां हि ते वियुज्यन्ते नमस्तेषां महात्मनाम्
From what is dear arises sorrow, and from what is not dear, even greater may come; but those great souls are not affected by either, and to them I offer my respects.
साहं त्यक्ता प्रियेणैव रामेण विदितात्मना। प्राणांस्त्यक्ष्यामि पापस्य रावणस्य गता वशम्
Thus abandoned by my beloved Rama, who knows his own self, I shall give up my life, now under the control of the sinful Ravana.
thumb|सप्तविंशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे सुन्दरकाण्डे सप्तविंशः सर्गः ॥५-
Listen now to the twenty-seventh chapter in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Sundara Kāṇḍa.
इत्युक्ताः सीतया घोरं राक्षस्यः क्रोधमूर्च्छिताः। काश्चिज्जग्मुस्तदाख्यातुं रावणस्य दुरात्मनः
Hearing Sita's words, the rakshasi women, maddened by anger, some of them went at once to report to the wicked Ravana.
ततः सीतामुपागम्य राक्षस्यो भीमदर्शनाः। पुनः परुषमेकार्थमनर्थार्थमथाब्रुवन्
Then, approaching Sita, the rakshasis with terrifying appearance again spoke harsh words, all meaning the same, but with evil intent.
अद्येदानीं तवानार्ये सीते पापविनिश्चये। राक्षस्यो भक्षयिष्यन्ति मांसमेतद् यथासुखम्
Today, O unworthy Sita, resolved on evil, the rakshasis will eat this flesh of yours as they please.
सीतां ताभिरनार्याभिर्दृष्ट्वा संतर्जितां तदा। राक्षसी त्रिजटा वृद्धा प्रबुद्धा वाक्यमब्रवीत्
Seeing Sita thus threatened by those cruel women, the aged rakshasi Trijata, awakened in mind, spoke these words.
आत्मानं खादतानार्या न सीतां भक्षयिष्यथ। जनकस्य सुतामिष्टां स्नुषां दशरथस्य च
Eat your own flesh, you cruel ones; you shall not devour Sita, the cherished daughter of Janaka and daughter-in-law of Dasharatha.
स्वप्नो ह्यद्य मया दृष्टो दारुणो रोमहर्षणः। राक्षसानामभावाय भर्तुरस्या भवाय च
For today I have seen a dreadful, hair-raising dream, foreboding the destruction of the rakshasas and the well-being of her husband.